Criticism levelled against the European Commission by European Ombudsman Emily O’ Reilly over its dealings with the tobacco industry is welcome. She has accused the Commission of breaching World Health Organisation disclosure rules regarding its contacts with tobacco makers. Its stance is at variance with that taken by the European Parliament, a point highlighted by Minister for Children James Reilly. He said this week: “It is not acceptable that the European Parliament works hard to progress a tobacco directive which seeks to protect public health and yet the commission is not proactively transparent in all its dealings with the tobacco industry”.

Imperial Tobacco stated that it would increase its dividend by a minimum of 10 % in the coming year, demonstrating assurance that cost slices will help it to deal with fragile consumer spending and larger taxes that weighed on its yearly revenue.
The same as other cigarette makers, Imperial has been struggling with decreasing sales in lots of markets, as more people stop smoking. On top of that, weakened economies and government tax boosts are making tobacco products less affordable, resulting in lower-priced cigarettes increasing in popularity.

nside a basement shop in Washington, D.C., on a bustling street filled with restaurants and nightclubs, a hazy cloud with the sweet scent of cotton candy and vanilla custard lingers in the air. Two men are sitting at a tasting bar smoking the latest flavors of “e-juice,” while the shop manager “vapes” on his electronic cigarette, or “box mod” device, behind the counter.